Accidental Loves
by angel5
Summary: *UPDATE: CHPT. 5 is now up* A/U...Landon is involved in a car accident...and the other driver is none-other-than Jamie Sullivan
1. Crash

Accidental Loves  
A Walk to Remember Fan Fiction  
by: Beth (luckyangel@go.com)  
  
Author's Note: This is my first "A Walk to Remember" fan fic and I hope that you like it! This is just a   
teaser to see how many people are interested in this fic. If you want me to continue, please reply and   
let me know by leaving some feedback for me. Thanks, Beth!  
  
Disclaimer: If only I owned Shane West...I'd die a happy woman. LOL! Seriously, I don't own anything,   
so please don't sue the poor college student!  
  
@@!!@@  
  
It was nearly midnight in Beaufort, North Carolina. Most people were in bed, sound asleep by now.   
Everyone but the teenagers of the town. They were out, breaking thier curfews, and maybe the  
underage drinking law.  
  
Landon Carter pushed the accelerator to the floor and his '67 Camaro sped past his best friend Eric's  
Jeep. They were racing down Old Cemetary Road, and their friends were waiting at the old railroad  
tracks, which was their finish line.  
  
They raced past the cemetary and came up a curve that they had nicknamed Devil's Curve as children  
after several kids had gone over the bank on their bikes. The curve was less dangerous in a car, if you  
obeyed the speed limit around it.   
  
Landon had pulled a car length or more ahead of Eric when they arrived at Devil's Curve. His better  
judgement made him swerve partially across the yellow line onto his side of the road and in front of  
Eric, who braked to avoid a collision.   
  
However, Landon wasn't prepared for the sight of bright headlights that suddenly filled his vision. He  
tried to swerve to avoid them, but his car was in the middle of the road and he couldn't get out of the  
way fast enough. Fortunately, the other driver also swerved, but the two cars couldn't avoid the  
collision.   
  
Landon's car was hit on the back of the driver's side which sent him into a spin. He tried to control it,  
but found himself dropping over the bank. The car came to an abrupt stop as the driver's side slammed  
into a tree.   
  
Eric was out of the Jeep and running toward the cars before Landon's dropped over the bank. He ran  
to the old car that was sitting on the side of the road where it had stopped. He was shocked to see  
Jamie Sullivan, the Reverand's daughter, sitting behind the wheel. Her eyes were wide, and she looked  
like she might cry, but she seemed unharmed.   
  
Both of them snapped their heads in the direction of where Landon's car had disappeared when they  
heard the crunch of metal and the splintering of wood. Without hesitation, Eric ran toward the sound,  
with Jamie on his heels. They both stopped short when they saw Landon's car. It was literally  
wrapped around the oak tree that it had hit. The driver's side was smashed into the tree, but they could  
see Landon through the broken windows and he was moving.   
  
Turning around, Eric grabbed Jamie by the shoulders and said, "Go get help. The keys are in the Jeep.   
Go to somebody's house and call for help."  
  
"Okay," she answered in her soft-spoken voice. Then she turned and ran to his Jeep and sped away,  
wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.   
  
Eric slowly approached the car, uncertain of Landon's condition. He cursed beneath his breath  
because it had been his idea to race. Finally reaching the car, Eric peered through the broken  
passenger side window at his best friend.  
  
Landon had blood running down his face from a cut on his forehead. He held his chest with his left  
hand, while his right hand held his left shoulder, which was obviously, even to Eric, dislocated.   
However, it was dark and the extent of Landon's injuries were unknown. But he was moving and his  
eyes were open, which Eric took to be a good sign.  
  
"Hey, man." Eric said, gaining Landon's attention. His friend grimaced as he turned his head toward  
the voice.  
  
"Some race," Landon whispered. He coughed and clutched his chest once again.  
  
"Take it easy. Just take it easy, Landon." Eric said, trying the door to see if it would open. It creaked  
open and Eric slid onto the seat beside Landon.  
  
"Where are you hurt?" Eric asked, not wanting to know, but needing to know the extent of Landon's  
injuries.  
  
"Head," Landon whispered, bracing himself for a cough that didn't come. "My shoulder. My leg." He  
tried to move into a more comfortable position but was stopped by Eric's voice.  
  
"Don't move, man. You could make something worse. Don't move."  
  
"Who was in the other car?" Landon asked after a moment of silence. His words were a little hard to  
hear and Eric had to lean closer to his friend. .  
  
"Jamie Sullivan. She's okay. I sent her to get help."  
  
"She's okay," Landon whispered to himself, his eyes sliding shut.   
  
"Landon, stay with me here. Talk to me, Man. You can't go to sleep; you gotta stay awake." But  
Landon had already slipped into unconsciousness. 


	2. Recovery Begins with Talking

Accidental Loves  
"A Walk to Remember" fan fic  
by Beth (luckyangel@go.com)  
  
Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the positive reviews. I've decided to go ahead and post this  
because of them! I'm still working on the next part, but I hope to get it finished tomorrow. As always,  
let me know what you think!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for the "A Walk to Remember" DVD, which I cherish...The  
commentary is so great...Who would have thought that Shane was drinking during that one scene...   
Oops, forgot what I was doing, I don't own anything, don't sue me....Please!  
  
@@!!@@  
  
Meanwhile, at the railroad tracks, Landon's friend glanced nervously at each other and then down the  
road and then back to each other. They all knew that something had to have happened. Landon and  
Eric should have been there long before now.   
  
Finally, they saw Eric's Jeep in the distance. As it drew near, they kept look for Landon's Camaro, but  
it was nowhere to be seen. The Jeep didn't stop; it didn't even slow down for the railroad tracks. And  
when it passed by, they all knew why. Jamie Sullivan was driving Eric's Jeep.  
  
Jumping into Dean's truck and Belinda's car, the teens headed in opposite direction that Jamie had been  
headed. Something had happened, and it wasn't something good. They had to find out what it was.   
  
@@!!@@  
  
Belinda had stood beside the car and sobbed; Dean had comforted his girlfriend, Tracie, and Belinda  
since he had discovered that he could not awaken Landon; Walker had stood by the road and waited  
for the ambulance to arrive; and Eric had sat in the car with Landon and made sure that he was  
breathing and that he had a pulse.   
  
This was how the ambulance crew had found them twenty minutes after the accident had occurred. It  
took an hour to extract Landon from the car because the Jaws of Life had to be used to remove the top  
of the Camaro in order to safely remove the teen.  
  
@@! Four Days Later !@@  
  
The doctor's prognosis was positive, which was very good news to a recently awakened Landon. He  
had been in a coma for four days due to the severe concussion he received, but had come out of it  
quickly with no signs of brain damage. His left shoulder had been dislocated in the accident, but it was  
only a little sore now. His left knee had been damaged and would have to be kept immobile in a brace  
for several weeks. His broken ribs, from impacting the steering wheel with his chest, were healing and  
the cut on his forehead was now only a bad bruise. All in all, he had fared pretty well since he had not  
been wearing a seatbelt.   
  
Now that he was awake, Landon was bored. He had nothing to do but stare at the ceiling, or the wall,  
or even the floor. There was nothing on TV in the middle of day except soap operas, which he refused  
to watch. He had finally been able to convince his mother to go home and get some sleep since she  
had been at his bedside since he had woken up early that morning. Now, he missed her.   
  
His head shot up at the sound of a knock on the door. No one knocked on his hospital room door.   
Nurses and doctors walked right in, as did his mother. He knew that his friends wouldn't knock,  
because they didn't even knock at his house.   
  
"Come in," he called out, not knowing what else to do.  
  
The door opened slowly and admitted none-other-than Jamie Sullivan. Landon took a deep breath.   
This was not a conversation he was ready to have. He remembered Eric telling him that Jamie Sullivan  
had been in the other car. And the accident had been his fault, not hers. He was just not up to facing  
Jamie Sullivan yet.   
  
And yet, there she stood at the foot of his hospital bed, her hands clasped in front of her. Her hair  
pulled back in the same ponytail as usual, but she was wearing the pink and white attire of a candy  
striper. Obviously, she volunteered at the hospital. Jamie volunteered for everything that needed a  
volunteer, from tutoring kids to church functions to the school play.   
  
Landon thought about buzzing the nurse and feigning a headache or something, but then Jamie started to  
speak and he was too late to do anything about the situation.  
  
"Hi, Landon." Her voice was soft, as it always had been.   
  
"Hi. Ummm...look Jamie, I'm really sorry about the accident." He said this only because this is what he  
hoped she wanted to hear, and the sooner she heard it, the sooner she would leave him alone.  
  
She was silent as she contemplated what to say. She decided not to respond to his comment yet. She  
was angry that he could have killed them both and angry that her car was wrecked. But she wouldn't  
show her anger, because that was not in her nature.   
  
"How are you doing?" She asked, deciding to change the subject. She wasn't ready to completely  
forgive Landon.  
  
"Pretty good, I guess." He couldn't help but throw in some of his sarcasm," Better than yesterday."  
  
Jamie merely smiled at him and said, "Well, I just wanted to check on you and make sure that you were  
going to be okay." She waited for him to nod his understanding before turning and walking toward the  
door.  
  
"Jamie," he called out as she reached for the doorknob. "Are you okay? I mean, in the accident, were  
you hurt?"   
  
She was touched by his concern. He had always seemed to be completely self-involved. She knew  
that he had a girlfriend. Well, the rumor mill at Beaufort High, was running in overdrive, speculating that  
Belinda and Landon were no longer a couple. The news was further fueled by the fact that they had  
not been seen holding hands or kissing for several days. Jamie didn't usually keep up with gossip, but  
everyone had been talking about it lately.   
  
"No, I wasn't hurt." She replied, turning around and smiling at him to show that there were no hard  
feelings about what had happened. Maybe she had forgiven him after all.  
  
Landon smiled back and nodded his understanding. At least she was okay. He didn't want to think  
about the repercussions if something had happened to Jamie. He was in enough trouble as it was, and  
he realized it. He had been drinking before the accident, and while it wasn't enough to get him in legal  
trouble, it wouldn't look good if any charges were pressed against him. As it was, it paid to have a  
father for a senator, even if he was never around. Senator Worth Carter would pull some strings and  
Landon wouldn't even have to do community service. His mother had informed him of this a few hours  
before.   
  
Landon sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep before his friends descended on him after  
school. His last thought before succumbing to sleep was that Jamie was here and not at school and he  
wondered why. 


	3. Love Pains

Accidental Loves  
"A Walk to Remember" fan fic  
by Beth (luckyangel@go.com)  
Author's Note: Thanks again for the positive reviews! I really enjoy hearing what you have to say so  
please let me know what you think of the story! Thanks!  
  
Story Note: I forgot to mention in the last chapter that Landon's father in this story is the father from the  
book, the senator. I figured that he could get Landon out of trouble easier than the father from the  
movie, who was a cardiologist.   
  
Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing, please don't sue, yada, yada, yada....  
  
  
@@! One Week Later !@@  
  
Landon sat up on his hospital bed, his Geometry book in his lap, while several papers were scattered  
across his bed. A pencil was clenched in his teeth, while another was stuck behind his ear.   
  
He barely glanced up at the sound of a knock on the door. It was Jamie and she wouldn't stop  
knocking before she entered the room. No matter how many times he told her not too, she just  
wouldn't stop.  
  
"Come in, Jamie." He called out, crumpling up the paper that he had just written on and throwing it in  
the direction of the trash can, which was surrounded by similar crumpled papers.  
  
She entered the room and immediately noticed his frustration. He had asked her a few days ago during  
one of her daily visits to help him catch up on his school work. It was math that he was having such a  
problem with, but she was beginning to see how to help him with it.   
  
"I know, I know." She said as she took a seat beside the bed before doing her best Landon  
impersonation, "'How many times do I have to tell you not to knock, Jamie?'"  
  
"You think you're so funny, but I'm here to tell you that you're not." Landon replied, rolling his eyes,  
and stifling a laugh. He found Jamie to be fun to hang around with and that bothered him. None of his  
friends knew that Jamie was helping him since he had told them that his physical therapy session was  
during the time that Jamie was there. They wouldn't approve of it and Landon desperately sought  
the approval of his friends, since his father barely knew he existed.   
  
"Where did we leave off last time?" Jamie asked, opening her textbook and finding the proper page.   
  
"I'm not really in the mood to do this right now, Jamie." He closed his textbook and threw it to the end  
of his bed.  
  
"But that's what I'm here for, Landon. To help you with your math." Jamie didn't understand what was  
going on. He was usually frustrated but he never stopped the tutoring before it began.  
  
"I know, but I thought, maybe, we could do something else."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like take a walk, or just talk, or something. Anything but similar triangles and their angles." He didn't  
know where these ideas were coming from, but he knew that he didn't want to be tutored today.   
  
"Look Landon, I don't mind helping you with your schoolwork." She took a deep breath before  
plunging on. "I didn't think that you wanted to be friends with me. I mean, you have your reputation  
and I have mine, and they don't mix."  
  
He nodded his agreement with her words, but couldn't help but feel an attraction to her. She had come  
to his hospital room everyday since he had woken up. His friends didn't even come everyday. He  
thought back to her words when he had asked for her help. She had told him to promise not to fall in  
love with her. While he wasn't in love, he felt a weird attraction to her and wanted to be her friend. He  
hoped that she would let him.  
  
"Jamie, I do want to be your friend. Maybe, I want to be more than your friend. I don't know. I just  
know that I want to do something other than study math with you."  
  
"You don't know what you want, Landon." She told him sternly. She wasn't angry with him, just  
irritated at his sudden change of heart. It was too fast for her to comprehend.   
  
"Neither do you. You come here every day and help me with my math or ask me how I'm doing. I'm  
the one who caused this Jamie. I'm the one that was racing and was not even on my side of the road.   
I'm the one who screws up all the time." By the time he was finished, his voice had risen to a shout.   
  
Jamie merely sat there. Her eyes widened a little at his outburst, but she had no other reaction. She  
was beginning to understand Landon and why he was the way that he was.   
  
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, hanging his head in embarrassment and shame. He hadn't meant to yell at  
Jamie; it had just happened.   
  
Jamie surprised both Landon and herself by reaching over and grabbing his hand. "Don't be. We all  
need to yell sometimes." She was shocked to see tears falling down his face when he raised his head to  
meet her gaze.   
  
"I didn't...I didn't mean to yell. I'm just so tired of having to be who everyone expects me to be." As  
soon as the words came out of his mouth, he couldn't stop them. "Mom expects me to be the perfect  
student. Dad expects me to be the perfect son. My friends expect me to be like them, always in  
trouble, always doing things that we're not supposed to. And I always screw things up with my  
parents, with my friends."  
  
"Landon, we all make mistakes. It's part of growing up, of growing older and wiser." Jamie was trying  
to comfort him. This was a completely different side of Landon that she had never seen before. It  
made her feel for him, but she was not feeling sorry for him. She felt compassion and, though, she  
didn't want to admit it, she felt love.   
  
Unexpectantly, Landon leaned over and kissed her deeply and passionately. It wasn't something that  
he planned or even thought about before doing it. It was just an instinctual feeling that compelled him to  
do it.  
  
"I love you." He whispered as they pulled away from each other. It wasn't a hurried sentiment or a  
harmful joke. It was an honest statement.   
  
Jamie was silent and Landon began to fell nervous. He didn't want to hurt their relationship, but he  
couldn't help himself. He had never felt like this before, not with Belinda, not with anyone.   
  
"Now would be the time to say something." He prompted her, needing to hear something from her.   
Needing to know how she felt about him.  
  
"I told you not to fall in love with me." She stated, staring into his eyes. It was the only thing that she  
could think of to say. Her heart told her that this was what she wanted, someone to love and someone  
to love her back. But a voice in the back of her mind told her that she couldn't do this now. It was too  
late for her to find that someone. It wouldn't be fair to them.  
  
They were interrupted by the door opening, admitting Eric, who stopped dead in his tracks at the sight  
of Jamie.   
  
"Ummm...if this is a bad time, I can come back later." Eric said uncomfortably.   
  
Jamie looked from Eric, to Landon, and back to Eric, before hurriedly gathering her things. She literally  
ran out of the room, and Landon wished that he could go after her. But he would never be able to  
catch up with her on crutches.   
  
Eric watched Landon shake his head and turn to stare out the window. He sensed that this was not a  
good time to visit his friend and he quietly slipped out of the room.  
  
Landon heard the door shut and released the tears that had built back up in his eyes. He felt that this  
was something that he needed to do. He needed to be with Jamie Sullivan. However, he feared that  
he had just damaged their relationship beyond repair. 


	4. Confession

Accidental Loves  
"A Walk to Remember" fan fic  
by Beth (luckyangel@go.com)  
  
Author's Note: Thanks again for all the great reviews. I'm really very happy with the amount of  
feedback that I'm getting for this fic. Thanks again! Just to entice you to let me know what you think,  
I've almost got the next part finished, so let me know what you think and I'll get it up as soon as I get  
some response to this chapter.  
  
Story Note: I'm sorry that I didn't make this clear before. This story is based upon a mixture of the  
book and the movie. More from the movie, if you notice that a lot of the dialogue comes from the  
movie, even though I have changed it to fit my story. Again, I'm sorry that it wasn't clear!  
  
Disclaimer: Yet again, I own nothing...The book belongs to Nicholas Sparks...and the movie belongs to  
whomever the movie belongs to. Please don't sue me!  
  
  
@@! Three Days Later !@@  
  
Landon was happy the be home. He had been released Wednesday, the day after his declaration of  
love to Jamie. His mother had kept him home from school for the end of the school week, wanting him  
to be rested.   
  
Now it was Saturday and he was on his way to Jamie's house. His mother had let him borrow her  
SUV after he promised not to break the speed limit and be a courteous, safe, and responsible driver.   
She had lectured him for thirty minutes, but he had barely listened. He was worried about what Jamie  
would say to him.  
  
He pulled his crutches out of the vehicle with him and hobbled up to the Sullivan's front porch. He  
manuevered up the stairs and was soon standing in front of the door. He rang the doorbell and waited.   
  
Jamie answered the door, clad in one of her usual outfits, a pair of jean overalls and a purple shirt with  
vertical green stripes down the front of it. She looked surprised to see him, but held open the door and  
invited him in.  
  
Her father came out of the room to his left to see who was at the door. Rev. Sullivan was an older man  
with some gray hair mixed in with dark brown. He wasn't very tall, standing about Landon's height. He  
also seemed surprised to see Landon at his home.  
  
"Mr. Carter," he nodded in greeting. His tone implied that he was not happy with Landon being there.  
  
"Reverend." Landon replied, noticing the tone. He smiled politely and waited for Jamie to say  
something.  
  
Her father beat her to it though. "I'll be in my office, just here." He pointed to the doorway that he had  
just walked through. He stared at Landon for a long moment before leaving the room, shaking his  
head.  
  
Landon didn't know what to do about Jamie's father's reaction, so he decided to ignore it. He turned to  
find Jamie watching him.   
  
"Ummmm...do you wanna go for a walk?" He asked her, not wanting Rev. Sullivan to overhear their  
conversation.  
  
"Are you sure that you're up to it?" She asked, motioning toward his crutches.   
  
He sighed as he looked down at the crutches that he was still getting used to. It had been a long time  
since he had to use crutches. He had broken his leg when he was ten, sliding into home to win the Little  
League Championship, but that was a long time ago.   
  
Looking back up at her, he grinned and shrugged. Then he started toward the door, with Jamie  
following along.  
  
They walked down the worn sidewalk in silence for a long time. Landon couldn't take the silence any  
longer. He had to say something.  
  
"Jamie, I'm really sorry if I scared you or if I hurt you or something."  
  
"Don't worry. You didn't." She replied, automatically.   
  
"Then, I don't understand." He said, stopping and reaching out to stop her. She stood just outside his  
reach.  
  
"Landon, I like spending time with you. Really, I do. But you can't love me."  
  
"Why not?" He interrupted her.  
  
"Because I can't let you." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. She turned to run, but was  
stopped by his voice.  
  
"Please, don't do this to me, Jamie." He whispered the words, but she still heard them. She couldn't  
force herself to run away from him now. It's now or never, Jamie thought to herself.  
  
"Landon," she paused, gathering her courage, "I'm sick."  
  
He looked puzzled for a minute, but then turned his crutches in the direction of her house and said, "I'll  
take you home. You'll be fine..."  
  
Jamie interrupted him because he wasn't getting her point. "No, Landon. Landon, I'm sick. I've got  
leukemia."  
  
He looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. Tears began filling his eyes. "No,  
you're...you're eighteen. You're perfect."  
  
"I've known for two years. I've stopped responding to treatments."   
  
Tears were now falling freely down her face, while Landon tried to get a grip on the situation. "Why  
didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I don't want anyone to be weird around me."  
  
"Even me."  
  
"Especially you." It had dawned on her in the last few minutes just how in love with Landon she was.   
But she couldn't let him know it. It wasn't fair to him.  
  
"I do not need a reason to be angry with God." She turned and ran from him as soon as the words had  
left her mouth.  
  
Landon was paralyzed. He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't go after her.   
  
@@! Two Days Later !@@  
  
Jamie didn't show up for school on Monday, and Landon doubted that she would ever return. Her  
secret was out now, even though he was the only one to know. He wouldn't tell anyone. Not when  
Eric had asked him why he was so down today. Not when Belinda had linked her arm through his like  
they were still dating and asked him what was wrong. He had moved away from her violently, almost  
knocking both of them to the floor. That was during lunch and Landon couldn't take it anymore. He  
had to leave.  
  
However, the vehicle seemed to have a mind of its own and Landon ended up parked in front of  
Jamie's house. He sat there for hours, trying to figure out what to do, what to say to her. However, he  
couldn't bring himself to face her and he pulled away from the curb without ever getting out of the  
vehicle.   
  
@@! Two Weeks Later !@@  
  
Landon had only seen Jamie in church on Sundays, and while they often caught each other's eyes, they  
never spoke. He had still not told anyone about Jamie's illness, and it was eating at him every day. He  
felt bad for not going to see her, but he didn't know if he could do it.   
  
He was working on the new car that his father had bought him. Yet another '67 Camaro, because it  
had been the only car that Landon talked about when he was sixteen and it had been his father's gift to  
him. This one was not kept as well as the previous one and it needed a little work. Landon worked on  
it to keep himself occupied, but he still ended up thinking about Jamie.   
  
He was bent down, looking for a particualr socket size in the small toolbox when he saw someone's  
Keds walk up on the other side of the car. The only person he know that wore Keds was Jamie. He  
took a deep breath before standing up.  
  
She looked sick. That was the first thing that he thought of. Her skin was pale and her hair hung limply  
around her face. She wore her only green sweater even though the weather was not cool enough for  
one. 


	5. Fulfilling the List

Accidental Loves  
"A Walk to Remember" fan fic  
by Beth (luckyangel@go.com)  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to all who replied! I really appreciate all of the kind words and advice and I  
regret that I haven't gotten this chapter posted until now. I wanted to double check a few things with  
the movie and it took longer than I expected to get it done. Thanks again to all my repliers!  
  
Story Note: I realize that the story is moving very quickly. I mean they started to have feelings for each  
other before they even went out on a date or anything, but I didn't plan on this being a long story, so I  
moved quickly with such things. I'm sorry for any confusion or problems that it causes you, the  
readers.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything....please don't sue me as I'm a poor college student, who's not even  
making money off of this story!  
  
  
  
@@! Two Months Later !@@  
  
Landon had not gone a day without seeing Jamie since they had reconciled. He was always over at her  
house, from the time that school let out until late into the night when his mother would call or Rev.  
Sullivan or sometimes Jamie would send him home to get some sleep in a bed and not in the chair  
beside Jamie's bed.   
  
Jamie had grown steadily worse over the weeks and now spent her time in her bed, as she was too  
weak to stand on her own. She read her Bible and helped Landon with schoolwork that he truly didn't  
need help with. However, it made her happy to help him, and as long as she was happy, so was he.   
  
She had told Landon about her secret list of things to do in her life. Most of them had saddened him as  
they were things that she wouldn't accomplish, like spending a year in the Peace Corp or making a  
medical discovery. However, he had been thinking about the ones that were possible. She had told  
him that she wanted to be in two places at once and, while it had stumped him for a long time, he had  
figured out how to fulfill it.   
  
He planned to do it tonight, because the doctors had changed her medication and she was feeling  
stronger than she had in weeks. She had even gotten out of bed and walked out to the porch to look at  
the stars through her homemade telescope. Of course, Landon had been hovering over her the whole  
time, but she had enjoyed getting out in the fresh air.   
  
He had a whole evening planned. First, a candlelight dinner at her house. Rev. Sullivan had agreed to  
let him cook Jamie's favorite food, spaghetti, in their kitchen. Rev. Sullivan had, it seemed to Landon,  
began to like him. Landon thought that it was his dedication to Jamie that made it possible for Rev.  
Sullivan to have a change of heart.  
  
After dinner, if Jamie was feeling up to it, Landon was going to fulfill as much of her list as possible. He  
even had a special gift for her that he was planning on giving her after they saw the comet. He realized  
that his plan included a lot of things for her to do in one night, but he didn't plan on having her out too  
long. That's why they were having dinner at her home.   
  
There's was one thing on her list that she wouldn't tell him. Her number one thing she was keeping from  
him. He couldn't help but wonder what it was. He had tried to guess, tried to get her to tell him, but  
she still kept it a secret. Rev. Sullivan didn't even know what it was, or else he wasn't telling Landon.  
  
So, Landon ran up the steps of the Sullivan's porch and through the front door that he never bothered  
to knock on anymore. He was about to rush up the stairs to Jamie's room, when he heard her voice.  
  
"Landon, I'm in here."   
  
He quickly reversed direction and walked into the living room where he found Jamie sitting on the  
couch, her legs spread out across it's length with an afghan covering them. She put down the book that  
she was reading and Landon could tell that it was the Bible.   
  
"Hey," he said, bending down to give her a kiss before he gently removed the pillows behind her back  
and sat down. She leaned back against his chest and made herself comfortable there. She sighed  
contently and closed her eyes. Landon was very aware of how thin she was and little she weighed.   
  
"I thought you would never get here today."  
  
"Me either. I tried to skip last period, but Mr. Williams caught me walking down the hall without a  
pass."   
  
"Landon," she shook her head and laughed slightly. "I don't want you to get in trouble over me."  
  
"He was going to let me go until the new principal came out of his office." Landon sighed. Everyone,  
except the new principal, was being so careful around him because he was Jamie's boyfriend. The  
Sunday after they had reconciled, Rev. Sullivan and Jamie made an announcement at the end of church  
services about her condition. Landon had stood up with them and held Jamie's hand as her tears  
threatened to fall again. Everyone in the congregation had cried, even his mother, whom he hadn't told.   
Since that day, his mother had taken to kissing his cheek and telling him how much she loved him every  
time that she saw him.  
  
His friends had also started to act strange around him. They barely spoke when he was with them, as if  
they were afraid that they might say something to upset him. He rarely hung out with them anymore  
anyway. The only time he saw them was at school and the one evening when Jamie insisted that he  
spend time with his friends. She was apparently feeling guilty for monopolizing his time. He hated  
every second that he spent away from here and had left the movie early to see her before she fell asleep  
for the night.  
  
They had a nightly ritual, where they took turns reading passages from the Bible. After Jamie began to  
get sleepy, they would lay together on the bed, singing softly to one another until one or both of them  
drifted off to sleep. Then Rev. Sullivan would come and wake him up and send him home. Landon  
was happy to get to spend time with Jamie, so he didn't mind abiding by Rev. Sullivan's rule that he  
could not spend the night.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" She asked, when he had not said anything for a long time.  
  
"That I love you and I will always love you." He replied, without hesitating.  
  
She smiled up at him and asked, "What are we doing tonight?"  
  
He looked surprised by her question and she laughed.  
  
"You can't keep secrets from me, Carter. I know you too well."   
  
He smiled down at her. "We're going to have dinner here and then your father has given me permission  
to take you out for the night."  
  
He loved the way her eyes lit up at the prospect of being able to get out of the house. "Where are we  
going?" She asked, sitting up and biting her lip. She always bit her lip when she got excited. Landon  
knew that it was these little things that he would remember when she was gone. The way that her hair  
looked falling down her back; the way that she bit her lip when she was excited; the way that she  
kissed him even when she was barely able to stay awake.   
  
"You're just going to have to wait and see."   
  
@@! Later that Night !@@  
  
Jamie had loved the candlelight dinner. She loved that he had made it himself. Landon was just happy  
that it had turned out to be edible.   
  
After dinner, Landon helped her out to his car, that he had finished fixing during the many sleepless  
nights that he had over the past couple months. She was wearing a blue dress that practically hung off  
of her because of the weight that she'd lost and a pink sweater that Landon had bought and given to her  
before dinner. To him, she was gorgeous.   
  
Jamie thought that Landon looked very handsome in his khakis and a pretty blue shirt. He obviously  
had the whole evening planned and she couldn't wait to see what he was up to.   
  
Thirty minutes later, Landon pulled the car over to the side of the road and jumped out. He ran around  
to the passenger side and opened her door. She giggled as he grabbed her hand and led her out to the  
middle of the road.   
  
"One foot there," he said, standing in front of her and pointing to a spot on the pavement. "And one  
foot here," he pointed out a different spot.   
  
"You're acting like a crazy person. What's going on?"  
  
"Right now, you are straddling the state line." He said, grinning from ear to ear. His smile fell because  
she looked puzzled.  
  
"You're in two places at once," he told her, pointing to the 'Welcome to Virginia' sign behind him.  
  
She laughed and ran into his arms. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
@@! The Planetarium Parking Lot - 30 Minutes Later !@@  
  
"Okay? Butterfly, rosebud, or star?" He held up three sheets of fake tattoos for her to choose  
from. She smiled at him, completely in love with him.  
  
"You choose."  
  
"Butterfly." He carefully peeled the plastic off of the butterfly and asked, "So, where do you want it?"  
  
She looked around her, trying to figure out the best place for him to apply it. "Here." She said as she  
pulled her shirt off of her shoulder. She moved her hair out of the way and watched as he placed the  
fake tattoo there and rubbed the water-soaked paper towel over it. He pulled it back to reveal the  
butterfly tattoo.  
  
They smiled at each other and leaned in for a kiss. Landon looked down and his watch and nearly  
swore.   
  
"C'mon. We gotta go." He got out of the car and, once again, ran around to the passenger side of the  
car to open the door for her. They walked up the stairs and into the back entrance of the planetarium,  
where they were met by a kind, old man.   
  
"Hi, Mr. Tucker. Is everything set up?" Landon asked, the old man as they followed him deeper into  
the building.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Carter. I will leave you two alone." Like everyone else in the greater Beaufort area, Old  
Man Tucker, the only astrologist in Beaufort, knew about Landon and Jamie. He was happy to help  
Landon set up a special viewing of the comet, Hyakutake.  
  
Old Man Tucker had set up a chair beside the huge telescope that the planetarium used for it's  
research. There was also a blanket and two bottles of water sitting beside the chair. Landon helped  
Jamie over to them and opened a bottle of water for her.  
  
He checked his watch and saw that it was almost time for the comet. He extended his hand to Jamie  
and helped her stand up. He pointed out the viewer and watched her face as she watched the comet  
streak across the sky.  
  
"C'mere, Landon. You've gotta see this." He stepped beside her and looked out into the sky. "Isn't it  
beautiful," she asked.  
  
"Yes, but not as beautiful as you," he turned around to find her sitting in the chair, grinning at him. He  
walked over to her and she stood to kiss him.  
  
"I've got a present of you," he said, when they parted.  
  
"Another one? You've given me more than enough." She was loving every minute of their evening, but  
she was starting to feel bad because of all the things that he was doing for her. She felt like she wasn't  
doing anything for him.  
  
"This is the last one, for tonight, I promise." He reached into his pocket and pulled out two tan sheets  
of paper. One of them, he unfolded and handed to her, asking her to find the star that was marked. He  
assured her that it was already within the view of the telescope, she just had to find it.  
  
"Why am I looking for this star?" She asked as she checked the paper once more to make sure that  
she was looking at the right one.  
  
"Because I had it named for you." He smiled brightly and handed her the paper, which stated that the  
star was named for Jamie Sullivan.  
  
"I love you so much, Landon." She whispered to him after she had kissed him again for the umpteenth  
time that night. "Please don't forget about me."  
  
"That's not possible. I love you, Jamie. I will always love you, for the rest of my life."  
  
@@! Later that Night - At the Sullivan's House !@@  
  
Jamie and Landon lay in bed together, talking about their evening. She had thanked him over and over  
again. He had politely received it all and explained that it was all in the name of love. She was started  
to doze off. Landon could always tell because her breathing was gradually slowing down and her  
fingers, that were often drawing designs across his chest, were barely moving now.  
  
"Jamie?" He asked softly, not really wanting to disturb her, but a sudden thought had entered his mind.  
  
"Hmmm." She mumbled, half-asleep.  
  
"What's your number one?"  
  
"To get married in the church were my parents were married."  
  
Landon's mind was going into overdrive, figuring out how to make her last wish come true, as Jamie  
eyes drifted shut and sleep overtook her. 


End file.
